adjective
devious
Following a route that is not straight
Where it comes from
English devious comes from Latin devius, built from de-, conveying movement away, and via, road or way. The Latin adjective meant out of the way or remote.
How the meaning developed
The physical image survived in English senses such as a devious route. The word also became figurative: conduct could depart from an accepted course, then appear indirect, cunning, or deceptive.
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Sources
Definitions adapted from Open English WordNet where applicable. License and attribution. Word-history text comes from Lexifour’s sourced social research; pages are assembled automatically, not individually fact-checked on every update.
Updated 2026-09-25. Report a correction.